Jacob's Ladder

I quite like this kind of smart and well acted mysterious films. It’s not pure horror, certainly (even if the scenes in the subway and the mental hospital are quite terrifying), but mostly a drama (which is not included among the genres). Well above-par, but very depressing, you need to be in the right mood for it. (28.05.2008)

I must say that I don't really like Adrian Lyne's films. It seems to me that he focuses too much on filming for effect and superficiality and chooses commercially catchy topics (let's face it, especially the sex). Almost every significant American director has to dedicate one film from their filmography to the Vietnam syndrome, and, understandably, Lyne did so as well. From my point of view, it may be his best film, which especially in the first half cannot be denied its hallucinogenic atmosphere with inner tension. The film has several shocking clever shots and scenes, such as the view from a mailbox or the absurd scene from a subway station that has no way out. The fast editing, brutal scenes full of blood, and flashbacks that make it difficult for viewers to orient themselves in the plot are all appealing. On the other hand, the script seems a bit helpless, and especially the final scene, which contradicts the previous catharsis, turns the whole storyline upside down. Similarly, Lyne couldn't resist his usual crutches and sentimental appeals to the viewer, such as the death of Jacob's child or the meeting with his estranged family. As for the subject, experiments with LSD on American soldiers during the Vietnam conflict are considered proven, but, of course, there were no massacres during these experiments. However, the soldiers laughed and discarded their weapons, and higher doses of this drug irreparably damaged their psyche, so it ended up being quite embarrassing. Overall impression: 70%. (16.04.2009)

It’s hard to review movies like Jacob’s Ladder. The things happening in the movie were a total hell. Somewhere halfway through the movie, it got a little weaker, because the start was more than brutal. The ending finished it good and proper and it’s been a really long time since I’ve stared at the screen with my mouth wide open, almost drooling on the floor like this. This story proves that it practically doesn’t matter whether you live in a democracy or totalitarianism. Even seemingly democratic countries like the USA can do such atrocities such as testing ladders on human who have no clue about it. And the result? Go and watch the movie. (25.01.2016)

So this is probably the biggest horror surprise for me in years. At first glance a very off-putting horror film, with a terrible poster, a weird title, a two-hour running time and too big a rating for a horror film, but despite all that, I really enjoyed it. The plot grabbed me from start to finish and I watched with my mouth open wondering what all was actually going on. A brilliant progression and development of the story underpinned by very intelligent dialogue and decent twists! The madhouse scene was also the most terrifying nightmare for me! 80% (01.05.2014)

This film contains and hides a lot in itself. Unfortunately, I can't say that I have revealed all of its missions. However, looking at three cut scenes out of context definitely helped me to better understand it. Jacob's Ladder is certainly mostly a drama, but after watching the deleted scenes and recalling those from the asylum, subway, and street, I can calmly state that it has enough horror and Cronenberg-Lynch elements that put this film in a completely different category. After the first viewing, I was rather disappointed, not everything fitted together as it should have. But when I paid attention to it for the second time and studied the whole meaning a bit, I evaluated Jacob's Ladder as another mindfuck from the 90s that is worth seeing. (27.04.2016)